China's government ruled that candidates for Hong Kong's top leadership post must be approved by a committee heavily loyal to Beijing, providing a clear demarcation of how far it will allow democracy to proceed in the territory.

The decree capped months of blunt reminders from Beijing of who is in charge in the former British colony, and quickly drew ire from pro-democracy voices in Hong Kong, who have threatened a mass civil-disobedience campaign if they aren't offered "genuine choice" in 2017 elections.